Representative Dexter Wright, who represented Jefferson County in theThirty-Eighth District from 1964 to 1972 and from 1976 to 1980. Theinterview was conducted by Jan Romond for the University of KentuckyLibrary, Kentucky Legislature Oral History Project on January 9, 2006,in the home of Mr. Dexter Wright, in Louisville, Kentucky, at 11:15 AM.

Saint Anthony school, a nursing school. And the other one followedher, I don't remember what year. Then I came to Kentucky in 1939.

ROMOND: Um-hm. Did you come to Louisville?

WRIGHT: Yes, that's where my sisters lived, and I, I came here, um-hm.

ROMOND: Okay.

WRIGHT: Um-hm.

ROMOND: Okay. What was the neighborhood like that you grew up in, where

your grandparents were--

WRIGHT: --oh, it was, it was a good neighborhood, one of the best in

that little town. And I--

ROMOND: --it was a small town?

WRIGHT: Oh yeah, wasn't twenty-five hundred people.

ROMOND: Oh, um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah.

ROMOND: And where did you go to school?

WRIGHT: I went to, uh, Bloomfield--well, I went to, first we moved up in

the country, way up in the, in Spencer County. And I went to a little4:00one-room school called Splinter Ridge, Indiana.

ROMOND: Splinter Ridge.

WRIGHT: Splinter Ridge, and, uh, and after that I got to, to high

school, I went to Patricksburg(??) High School for one year and,uh, and played basketball there. And had to walk seven miles afterbasketball practice and--

ROMOND: --to get home?

WRIGHT: To get home, yeah, um-hm. (laughs) But then we moved back to

Bloomfield.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, that's, uh, that's when I had to go to work.

ROMOND: At the grocery store.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm. Do you remember any activities outside of school from

grow, your growing up days?

WRIGHT: Very little. I didn't have any activities. I was, I had to

work. And I mean, I meant(??) namely--well, I did play basketball someand, and football. But that didn't last too long. I mean, uh, becauseI had to go back, go to work. And, uh, my, my youth, I, it just kindaof a shadow; I don't remember much of that youth, young, young life5:00at all.

ROMOND: Um-hm, Um-hm. Um, when, who were the influential people from

your young life? Were they your grandparents, or do you rememberteachers from schools?

WRIGHT: Oh, I remember some teachers, but I, I don't remember them

being influential. The main one was my grandfather. Uh, he, he wasa, just a fine man. I just worshipped him. And, uh, but he was a maininfluence in my life, I mean.

WRIGHT: Yeah, exactly like Dwight Eisenhower. And I, you know, I never

heard him swear a day in his life. Uh, the worse words I've heard himuse is, "Grab darn it!" (both laugh) I, I'll never forget, one time I6:00was driving, he, he, we had, working out in the field, and, and I wasjust a kid, and then he needed some gas for the tractor. He said, "Canyou drive the car?" And I said, "Oh, yes, I can drive it." "Go up andget the gas." So I drove it up to the, the barn. And, and, uh, got thegas. Half an hour later, I was still facing the barn; I couldn't backaway from the barn. And--

ROMOND: --(laughs)--you could only drive forward.

WRIGHT: I could drive forward. And, and I had to walk all the way back

in the field and then he said, "Well, grab darn it, son, you told meyou could drive!" And that was the last time I told him anything that Icouldn't do. (both laugh) Yeah.

ROMOND: After you get, got out of high school, did you go to college, or

did you work, or did you join the service, or?

WRIGHT: Oh I, I worked up until, uh, of course I went to the service in

1942, I think it was, '42 or '43. But I worked, and then when I came7:00back from, from, uh, the Army, I continued my education, got my GED.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I attended the University of Louisville for seven or eight

years at nighttime, I think I collected sixty-three hours or--

ROMOND: --oh my gosh--

WRIGHT: --seventy hours, and I, but at the same time I was doing that, I

was traveling, I had a traveling job.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, so I'd go to school two or three nights a week and then

go out on the road, and , uh. So I never did get a degree at school,but , uh, I got one of the best degrees there is: the school of hardknocks. (laughs)

ROMOND: The school of hard knocks.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: The school of experience.

WRIGHT: Experience, right.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: And you were in the Army during World War II.

WRIGHT: Yes, um-hm. I was in France and, uh, and Germany. And, uh,

we were, uh, as the war ended, we were in, uh, the Le Havre, France,just taking jungle training, due, due to get on board ship and head for8:00Japan, to invade Japan.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, that's when Harry Truman dropped the bomb and the next

day we got orders to come back home, so.

ROMOND: Wow.

WRIGHT: And I came back home, and I, and I was a staunch Republican and

I said, "If I ever get home, I'll vote for Harry Truman; I don't carewhat he is!" And so, I did back then. But he saved a lot of lives;I mean, no question about it. I mean, he killed a lot of people. Wedid, I mean, but he saved up a lot of lives.

ROMOND: What was your job--

WRIGHT: --I was--

ROMOND: --in the, in the Army--

WRIGHT: --in the Army. First I was in the infantry, and then I went

to engineer. And rebuilding hospitals and roads and things, and I wasforeman of engineering.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I was a sergeant when I was discharged. Well, I was, was acting

first sergeant, but officially I was a sergeant when I discharged. AndI--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --uh, then I went back, I worked at the naval ordnance station

when I went in the service, then I went back there and stayed there9:00until 1949. Then I went into sales and, uh, with B. F. Goodrichcompany and, uh.

ROMOND: When you got out?

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm. Do you think that your experience in the Army, building

what guided me into that. There was one man that I went to churchwith, and, and he told me one time, says, "Why don't you take thereal estate license?" I was a, uh, what I'd call an outgoing person.You know, I mean, I, I love people. And, uh, and, and I had beensuccessful with selling, too, by the way.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: So, uh, uh, I was, at one time, I was, there were four of us

in one of our sales organization. And I was top dog for the wholetime I was there. And, uh, so, uh, but I just, uh, and when he got me10:00into real estate business, and I decided to go into it by myself, somepeople called. Uh, they were building a big subdivision and they askedme to come and sell all the subdivision. And, uh, so I listed that andsold three hundred houses within two years.

ROMOND: This is right after you got your license.

WRIGHT: Right after I got my license, um-hm. In 1963 or '64, somewhere

along in there, yeah. Oh that, yeah, it was '64, because I was electedright after I took that subdivision over.

ROMOND: My gosh!

WRIGHT: And so, I wrote twenty-two contracts in one day.

ROMOND: In one day.

WRIGHT: Um-hm, yeah. People don't believe that, but I, I can prove it,

I mean if I had to go back to the archives, you know.

ROMOND: Sure.

WRIGHT: But I did, I wrote twenty-two contracts.

ROMOND: That's amazing.

WRIGHT: I lost one out of 22. There was a fellow lied about his

financial condition.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Otherwise they all closed, I mean.

ROMOND: You mentioned meeting somebody at church who sort of encouraged

from the service. I was a, what you call a steward in the Methodistchurch and, uh, active on the board of, uh, uh, you know, the boardof directors.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And then I was chairman of the finance commission and I was on

the commission on missions.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, and really active in church for a long quite a while.

ROMOND: Um-hm. How do you think church influenced your values?

WRIGHT: Oh I think that was, of course that could go back, I think my

grandparents in-, in-, influenced my values, too. We, I was in churchwith them, but, uh, you know, no, I have just very vague memory of it.But, uh, uh, I would say then, yeah, church had something to do withit; there's no question about it. Because I was, uh, I had developed12:00a, an attitude about church where I felt like I just had to be there,you know, do the work and, and, uh, be one of the, and the financecommittee, I mean I just, uh, that's what really got me going real goodbecause I, I felt like everybody should tithe, and, uh, I was reallystrong at the end of that time, and, uh, so, uh.

ROMOND: It was your experience in the war that, that was the, at the

root of your wanting to be so active in church?

WRIGHT: No, that, this was before on the war, that I went--

ROMOND: --oh, before the war--

WRIGHT: --yeah, um-hm, yeah. No, that, this was before the war.

ROMOND: Okay. How did you get involved in politics?

WRIGHT: Well, I tell you, that church that I went to--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --there were four or five people who came to me, because I was

and I thought about my grandfather, that flashed through, and I said,"Yeah, I think so because my grandfather," and I--

ROMOND: --what about your grandfather--

WRIGHT: --uh--

ROMOND: --made you think about--

WRIGHT: --oh, he loved politics. And he--

ROMOND: --oh, he did!

WRIGHT: --oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, he, he loved, that's all he talked

about, politics and, and, uh, played checkers, he did that--

ROMOND: -- ------------(??)--

WRIGHT: --all the time, yeah, um-hm.

ROMOND: Was he ever in politics himself?

WRIGHT: No, he just--

ROMOND: --very interested in it.

WRIGHT: Very interested in it, and had all the books and, uh, the laws

and everything, a little library in the, of the--but he, he, actually,I guess his influence was on, had a lot to do with me getting intopolitics, too.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I mean, the, the, but these people asked me if I would run

and, uh, and they had, they, uh, selected me as, as a candidate. Andthen they dropped me, the party dropped me. And, uh, so I ran as an14:00independent, and I got beat the first time. The second time aroundthey came around to me and begged me to run that time. And, uh, that'swhen I was elected.

ROMOND: And this was the Republican Party--

WRIGHT: --the Republican Party, um-hm--

ROMOND: --um, that asked to you run--

WRIGHT: --yeah--

ROMOND: --and backed you.

WRIGHT: Yes, that time--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --yeah. They backed me with, with their mouth, but not with

their money. (laughs)

ROMOND: What was the political climate like in your district--

WRIGHT: --oh it, it--

ROMOND: --when, when you first ran?

WRIGHT: Oh, it was strictly a, a Democrat district. I mean, out

registered two-to-one. And, uh, the only reason I won, I mean, Iwalked every precinct and I had people, I had a 150 volunteers that wewalked every weekend. And door-to-door. And, uh, if I wasn't with theperson, they would say, "Now, if you want to talk to Mr. Wright, he'sover here. We'll go get him," and, I mean, we walked the district.15:00

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, and of course my district was, like I say, it was out

registered two-to-one Democrat.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I won it, uh. The only reason I lost the one term in

between there is, uh, was the fact that, uh, Watergate, you know--

ROMOND: --oh--

WRIGHT: --all that Nixon thing came up and that beat me then I came--

ROMOND: --that was hard on the Republicans.

WRIGHT: Oh yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Then I came back and beat the guy that beat me, beat me a 135

votes and I beat him 1800 the next time. So, um.

ROMOND: Was your grandfather still alive when you won the first time?

WRIGHT: No, I would have given anything if he had been. I have always,

I told my daughter, I said, "I'd have given anything if my grandfathercould sit up in the balcony when I was sworn in, in the"--

ROMOND: --oh, yeah.

WRIGHT: You know, I thought about him several times, I'd look up there

and say, "Man, I wish he was up there!" Cause I know he'd be bustinghis britches, you know. (both laugh) So to speak, yeah.16:00

ROMOND: So proud.

WRIGHT: Proud, he was a proud man, yeah.

ROMOND: Yeah.

Proud man.

And he had something to do with it, too.

WRIGHT: Oh, yeah, oh, yeah--

ROMOND: --the fact that you were there--

WRIGHT: --he had a lot to do with it. Yes, he had a lot to do with it,

you know.

ROMOND: Yeah.

WRIGHT: Yeah, no question about it. I mean, some, you don't remember,

but, you know, there's things that he said and done that, that--

ROMOND: --sure--

WRIGHT: --that, uh, they helped me along, I mean.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But he was a proud man. And, uh, and I was his favorite out of

all his kids. And, and, uh, and I was his grandson.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: And he told the people in, in the town, he said, "That boy has

done more for me than any of my kids have." I used to go visit him whenI, as I got older, and he was up there in Indiana, and I'd take him abox of cigars, you know.

ROMOND: Yeah.

WRIGHT: And, uh, and, and I'd take the first layer of the cigars out and

put a dollar bill in it. I wasn't making that much money, and, and I'dput a dollar bill in it. And he, he remembered all that. And, uh, he17:00was 82 when he died, so.

ROMOND: Yeah, yeah. What was--

WRIGHT: --but--

ROMOND: --what was that first campaign like, your first taste--

WRIGHT: --the first--

ROMOND: --of campaigning?

WRIGHT: Oh it was, I loved it, I mean--

ROMOND: --you loved it.

WRIGHT: Oh yeah, I mean, I loved meeting the people, and, you know, I

didn't stand around lie to them. I said, "I'm just gonna representyou the best I can. And if you need something, you want me to dosomething, you'll call me," you know.

ROMOND: What did you think the needs of the people in your district were

at that time?

WRIGHT: At that time? Uh, well, now that's asking me to go back a long

WRIGHT: Uh, schools were, were one of the main things. I mean, that's,

18:00that's when we had, got into the busing thing, you know, and all that,and, uh.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But that was some of the main issues, that, and I guess it was

the main issue because I visited all the schools.

ROMOND: Did you?

WRIGHT: In, in the district, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I, I was, I spoke to classes in every school.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah.

ROMOND: I noticed in the, uh, House Journal that has all of the bills--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --in it that you introduced many bills that had to do with

education.

WRIGHT: Yeah, um-hm, sure did, um-hm.

ROMOND: And teachers.

WRIGHT: Yeah. The teachers, uh, never supported me.

ROMOND: Really!

WRIGHT: But I supported them, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah, they, they didn't like me because I didn't want them to

be unionized.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Because I was an-, anti-union as far as the teacher. There're

a lot of things, I think the unions destroyed a lot of businesses. Imean, still do. But, uh, that wasn't, I mean, I wasn't pro-union and19:00that's, I guess that's the reason they didn't support me. But, uh,but, yeah, I, I introduced a lot of bills. You know, I, I introducedsome bills on the, on adoption, too.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And on abortion.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, I supported the only bill that was passed during that

one time for, against, uh, abortion, I mean. It's the only one thatpassed. It still law, I mean, I can't remember what it was now butI know, uh, and I've been strong pro-life. Of course, you'd see why----------(??)--------- adopted and, uh, uh, uh, and then the adoptedchildren come up there and they were fussing and wanting to know moreabout their life and all. And I said, "The only reason that theyare that way, because they, they're not happy with the people adoptedthem," and they were trying to destroy those people. And I, of course,I was against that opening the records up at that time.20:00

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, uh, in fact I had a bill up there, and during the whole

session, I, I held a, the Governor(?) was trying to pass it out ----------(??)---------- session.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, I'm, you know, I was just, uh, I just felt like if they

could get themselves together and get some help, mental help, I mean,they'd be all right, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Of course, there's some bad adoptive parents, but there's a lot

me--and then that's, and then when you talk about pro-life, I mean, I21:00used her as a, in a speech one day. I didn't, I didn't, she was up thebalcony, and I was talking against abortion. And I said, I said, "Youlook up and I'll show why I'm against abortion."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I pointed to her.

ROMOND: To Dawn.

WRIGHT: To Dawn, yeah, she was just--

ROMOND: --your daughter--

WRIGHT: --just a little bitty thing, you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And , uh, in fact shortly after that she was on the front page

of the Courier-Journal.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: With the Senate up on my desk in Frankfort, talking with a

microphone to the speaker of the House. She said, "Mr. Speaker, Mr.Speaker!" (laughs) And he, he recognized her.

ROMOND: How old was she?

WRIGHT: She, four? I got the picture.

ROMOND: Four?

WRIGHT: The picture is in there. Uh.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I'll show to you if it's there on my desk, it's in, pull the

thing out. But it was in the front page, on the front page of the22:00Courier-Journal and, uh, I went and got out to the car and leaving togo to Frankfort, and the woman next door said, "What do you think ofthe morning paper?" And I said, "What, what about it?" "Well, did yousee the front page?" And I said, "Uh, yeah, but I don't," you know,"Well, go back in and look at it." (Romond laughs) It was my daughterabout that big.

WRIGHT: --uh, well I don't know how many race that I'd run, primary and

general election, maybe sixteen races that I run.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: So it had, I had to meet their expectations or I would never got

to vote back, you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, and I did. I mean, I, I'd go to their meetings, out

the, uh, the local meetings. And , uh, and really I never, uh, I don'thave(??) any doubt, I felt like I had served the people.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, of course, when I was elected, I would've, I would've gonna

up there for nothing. I wasn't looking for a salary at all, becausewe, when I first went up there, we got twenty-five dollars a day, andtwenty-five dollars in expenses. Well, you know what that amounts toeven back then.

ROMOND: Oh my gosh.

WRIGHT: If you had to spend the night, you know, that twenty-five

dollars is gone, but, uh, but that's what we, that's what we, uh, wentup there. And, and I never, all of time I was there, never voted for a24:00salary increase.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I never voted for, uh, uh, a pension increase. Voted against

all pension increases and, uh.

ROMOND: Um-hm. What was it like the first time when you went to the

General Assembly and you had just been elected and you were a new, uh,state representative--

WRIGHT: --um-hm--

ROMOND: --what were your surprises or what were your thoughts about

being there?

WRIGHT: Well, I thought, my, here I am. And what am I gonna to do.

And, uh, I, I don't know, it just seems like it was natural.

ROMOND: Did it?

WRIGHT: Seems like it was a natural thing for me to be there and for me

to be involved. And, uh, and I picked up pretty quick. I mean, on,uh, on what to do, and the meetings, and all. And understood the, uh,the Robert's Rules of Orders. I mean, never read them before.25:00

Okay.

I understood the functions of the General Assembly and, uh--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --uh, uh, I was, I was really surprised at how easy I picked up.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I mean, uh, and it was a lot of fun. I mean I enjoyed every bit

ROMOND: But there was, there was not unity among the entire group of--

WRIGHT: --no--

ROMOND: --people--

WRIGHT: --it was kinda--

ROMOND: --it was divided--

WRIGHT: --fractured--

ROMOND: --by party--

WRIGHT: --yeah, yeah. I, I was fortunate. I mean, I think I was because

I had decided that I wasn't going to be a strong partisan person.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I mean, the arrangements with some of the, uh, delegation

out in the state, "the country boys," as we called them, and, uh, Imade a deal with them and said, "If you, when you tell me something,you give me your word."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: "And I'll give you mine, and then we don't discuss it anymore.

If I tell you I'm gonna help you, forget it." And I did and I, andI had a lot of Democrats supported me, and when I introduce a bill, I27:00mean, uh.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: So that, that was, that was the part that I enjoyed, too,

because they couldn't understand, a lot of our people couldn'tunderstand why I could get along with those Democrats. And I, well,they're just like me, you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: They're human beings, you know. And then we got our, our

do's and don'ts and, uh, but I enjoyed the, that part of it, and, um,and even to the last. I mean, I was getting along well with all theDemocrats. And the, and the Governors, I got along with them.

ROMOND: Um-hm. You served under five Governors.

WRIGHT: Um-hm.

ROMOND: Starting with Edward Breathitt.

WRIGHT: Ned Breathitt, right.

ROMOND: Um, what are you memories about them? Do you have memories that

stand out about each of them?

WRIGHT: I do about Ned Breathitt, probably Louis Nunn, and some of them,

I have to go along with, but anyhow, Ned Breathitt was in his final,final years, you know, and Ned was a real nice fellow.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: Yeah, he was a nice fellow, but he just wasn't strong, you know.

28:00He not, not a strong leader. And, uh, but I, I got along with himfine. I mean, I had some, I had to make a deal with him on some coupleof things. Uh, on a bill or two, and, and he'd, he'd make a commitmentwith me, and I say, "Well, now, you go get it done, and I'll do, I'lldo what I say," you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And he had, that one bill--I don't know what it was in

particular--but it was in the Senate, my bill was hung up in theSenate and his was hung up in the House, and I was the one that had ithung up, you know. And so I say, "You go down there, when that billcomes in the House, back to the House, passes here, yours will be downthere." And he was, he was walking the floor, I mean. You know, theGovernor's walking the floor down there to get it. And it came over,and, uh, I got his out, sent it back. And, and that was all there wasto it. Yeah. But I knew he, he came in and tried one time to, uh, uh,29:00suggest some things to the, the Republican caucus. And it just didn'twork.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I mean, you know, it would with me, but it wouldn't with a

lot of the fellows. And Louie Nunn, of course, Louie was, uh, Louiewas never a favorite of mine; I was, I campaigned for Marlow Cook forGovernor back when Louie Nunn was elected.

ROMOND: Ah.

WRIGHT: Marlow Cook was a friend of mine here in town. And, and a

county judge and, and in fact, I put him on the ticket and , uh, wasinstrumental in his whole campaign, setting up his organization state-wide. And Louie Nunn never did quite forgive me for that.

ROMOND: Ah.

WRIGHT: And, uh, but Louie won and, uh, I supported his programs.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: You know, I supported what he wanted done. And, uh, uh, then

years later he, he always, he kidded me, and he say, "Well, I got someof your money in, in one county." And I said, "Well, I got yours here30:00in this county," so, I mean, you know(??), that's politics, you know.

ROMOND: It is.

WRIGHT: Yeah. No, I said, "Well, I got yours here," and I said, "I

could tell you how much you gave so-and-so." But, uh, and the lasttime--(laughs)--uh, I never will forget--he, he was a dumping money allover the place. So--(laughs)--I came, I told him to give it to thisfellow, he was a Catholic priest.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And he wasn't very active in politics, and he did. Well, that

didn't--and the priest said, "What am I going to do with it?" I said,"Give it to the orphans."

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: You know, give it to the needy in your church. (laughs)

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, but Louie never did know that, but that's, this, that's

true, I, I think it was around ten thousand dollars.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But, but Louie was a good Governor. He was one of the best, and

one. I was, uh, managing Marlow Cook's campaign. We had an officedown on Fourth Street. And, uh, uh, he, when they had the riot, a bigriot down there. I had a staff in the book(??) building down thereand, uh, my car, I don't remember where I parked it, but anyhow, theywere having that riot and I was right down the street, within a blockof it, where there was rioting. And they called me to get out ofthere. And they said, "We'll send the police after you," the county32:00police. And I got all my people out.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: And then the county police came and picked me up, and I, and

they said, "We're not gonna get your car; we're taking you home." Sothey took me right home. And, uh, a couple of days later I came back.And, uh, uh, they were just tearing up jack downtown, I mean, all overthe place. And, but I'll never forget the, when the police came. Imean, there was three of them. They-- (laughs)--took me right out,said, "Get, get out, lock this place up."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And so, yeah, that was back in '68, wasn't it? [Nineteen] sixty-

seven, '67 or '68.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Uh, '68, I think it was. Can't remember. I mean, yeah, but

anyhow, yeah, I was involved in that, and I was involved in the, uh,school segregation thing, too. Uh, you know--

I mean I, I was very much opposed to busing. Still am, still thinkit was just a matter of, uh, trying to , uh, equalize--or I don't knowwhat you call it--make it socialize with other people we didn't wantto. Or, not that, I didn't care. I mean I didn't care if he was blackor purple, I mean.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I just didn't want my kid bus from, from south Louisville, all

the way to West End down by the river, twenty-five miles away.

ROMOND: Did you feel like the schools should be equal, they should have

equal, uh, opportunities for--

WRIGHT: --oh--

ROMOND: --no matter what the school is.

WRIGHT: No question about it, yeah--

ROMOND: --fix the schools--

WRIGHT: --oh yeah, I said, that's what I said. And I said, "If you're

gonna, if you're going to, uh, uh, put them all together, you know,consolidate them," I had a plan, I mean a good plan.34:00

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I don't know whether you read it, it was introduced. I

mean, but I, I couldn't it passed. Uh, where you would have a, eachdistrict would be equal, like you're start in the middle, you'd make,make four districts, you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And that's where you start from is that point.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: People in this district will go to school here, and people in

that district go there, and that.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: All four of them, and they wouldn't pass that. They, they,

they didn't want that none. I, I said, "I'm gonna tell you, you'regonna let this busing come in, you're gonna let this thing go, and notconsolidate, and do what's right, we're gonna have busing." Now that'sbefore it ever happened. I said, "We're gonna have busing, now, youwatch!" Two years later they were busing kids all over the place.

but I, you know, I never, uh, of course I've read about it, but neverwas, uh, really too involved--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --in that, I mean. But I, I think that those boys that

fought over there have been, uh, uh, mistreated. No question aboutthat they've(??) being mistreated, and the ones in Korea have beenmistreated too. And they gave Bush problems for what he's done, butthat had nothing to do with Vietnam. I mean, Vietnam was one of theworse things we've ever done. And even Korea. We didn't gain anythingin either one of those; we gave up. Now, if, if Reagan would give up,or if Bush would give up now, it'd be the biggest mistake we'd makesince we gave up Vietnam. We can't give up, we got to stay! I don't36:00agree with it, but, uh, you know, but if you go into the Bible, whathe's doing is exactly what the Bible says--

ROMOND: --hm--

WRIGHT: --try to create peace throughout the world and have everybody

come to Jesus. That's all this is all about. Purely a religious war.And you're not gonna, those people are not gonna be happy, I don'tcare what they do, if -----------(??)----------- dies, no tellingwhat's gonna happen in that area. But that's, you know, that's besidethe point. I, uh, I just hate to see these young men have to go, butthey have to. I mean, we got to, we have to do this, what's right.And the right thing is, in a sense, what we're doing. You know, Idon't, I think it was a, a preemptive strike. I mean, I think that,37:00uh, part of it was, uh, uh, political. And part of it is just, uh,someone who want to have power over other people. The young GeorgeBush is a nice boy. But he's not my favorite. Of course, I, he--(Romond laughs)--I'd rather have him than Kerry, or, uh, whoever elserun up there, against him before, Al Gore. I mean, I didn't like AlGore, but I, he's is a candy whopper, that boy is. I mean, I, uh, but, uh, but I think Bush, Bush is doing a, as good a job as he can underthe conditions. And the, the Democrats are fighting it, you know,they just want to get back in office; that's the only reason they'restarting all this crap that's going on. It's pure politics, all it is.38:00

ROMOND: How did Vietnam play out in Kentucky? Was that an issue within

Kentucky as far as the government of Kentucky went?

WRIGHT: I can't, I can't remember it being an issue at all. I mean I

really can't. Other than , uh, when he wanted pass a bonus for thosefellows, I mean, that, that played a part, but, uh, that's when theywas wanting to raise the taxes to--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --give them a bonus. And, and I said no. I said give a bonus

but don't, don't raise the damn taxes. They deserve a bonus.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But we don't need to raise anymore taxes.

ROMOND: What do you remember about Wendell Ford?

WRIGHT: Wendell was a, a nice, a nice fellow, but he was strictly

a partisan politician. He did not like Republicans, period. And,uh, uh, but he was, I, when I served with him, I served with him and39:00Julian Carroll. I was on the legislative, uh, uh, on the committee,what do you, uh, we have a committee in the legislation, a leadershipcommittee, and, uh--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --and they would get at each other in the, in the meetings, and

I would have to call them off every once in a while, you know. Now,what a minute, what a minute. (Romond laughs) Uh, I got along withboth of them fine. Wendell, uh, Wendell had one man with him that wasreally a nice person. Miller out of Owensboro was one of Wendell's ,uh, prime supporters, and he and I always got along fine.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But the, I never will forget, he, he was, he ended up being

mayor of Owensboro. When I got beat that first time, he wrote a letterto me and said, "Dexter, you didn't lose; the people lost."

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah, he said, "You didn't lose; the people lost." And Ron

Mazzoli, I got one from him, too. He said the same thing. He said,yeah, the people lost when you got beat. And, uh.

ROMOND: But you got to serve with both of them.

WRIGHT: Both of them, yeah, I served with both of them. Julian Carroll

and, uh, Wendell Ford, too.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm. And Julian Carroll, what was he like?

WRIGHT: Well, I, I've always liked Julian. He was--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --he was fair with me.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, he had some pretty rough characters around him, but

I mean, I, I, uh, uh, you could, I could count on him personally. Imean, anything I'd ask him, why, it would be done.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, uh, on, on occasions, I mean, when someone who could

have me take me on in the House, he'd, he'd set them down.

ROMOND: Really.

WRIGHT: Oh yeah. There was one fellow, he was a Republican taken me on,

41:00too. And, uh, he said, "That's not necessary." And ruled him out oforder, and then, uh.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah. Said, "You can't impugn a man's character." That

was me he was talking about, he said, "You can't do that."

Huh.

"Because it is wrong." And, uh, but I always admired him for that. But

Julian was a, a pretty good(??) Governor, I mean.

ROMOND: Um-hm. You were there when, uh, Thelma Stovall called a special

session once, when Julian Carroll was out of town? Do you remember that?

WRIGHT: You know I don't remember that.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Was I there?

ROMOND: Between, uh, well, during Carroll's term. He, because some of

the legislators were, um, felt like Julian Carroll had too much control42:00over the legislature.

WRIGHT: Um-hm. You know, I don't remember that.

ROMOND: Okay.

WRIGHT: But I, now he did exercise a lot of control.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I mean, of course, he'd been there. He was the speaker of the

House. No, he had a lot of, a lot of friends in that General Assembly.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But, uh.

ROMOND: Um-hm. And then when John Y. Brown came in, he ran the

government more like--

WRIGHT: --as a business--

ROMOND: --a business--

WRIGHT: --he did--

ROMOND: --yeah.

WRIGHT: Yeah, he did. And was the best, I mean, I, I have to give him

credit. He didn't take anything off of anybody, didn't ask them foranything. And, and, uh, even the General Assembly, if he'd have themover for dinner or lunch some, he--pardon me--he'd never called youdown and say, "Will you vote for this?"

ROMOND: Yeah, it was a very different style--

WRIGHT: --oh, altogether different--

ROMOND: --than people who had come before him.

WRIGHT: Right, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Before I mean, they, they, they directed the votes to the House.

They'd set up, uh--pardon me--a list to, to the Democrats. "You vote43:00for this bill, you vote for that bill."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: They had the ones marked(??) too, the ones were supposed to

vote for.

ROMOND: That's a lot of power.

WRIGHT: Oh, too much. Too much, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah, we, we never, we never had that much under Louie Nunn.

ROMOND: Um-hm. Do you think it's since Brown changed that style about

the power of the Governor's office, do you think that it has changedafter Brown, the leadership style of Governors?

WRIGHT: Yeah, there's no question about it; it's, it's reverted back

to the leadership in the House and the Senate. Uh, I mean, they, theycontrol more than the Governor does--

ROMOND: What were, what do you consider to be some of major issues that

the General Assembly was grappling with during the time that you werethere, issues throughout the state, what were the big ones?

WRIGHT: Well, the big, one of the biggest is always education. Always,

I mean, in that, that was always just(??) a problem. And of coursehighways was the, and things like that. I never, uh, the , uh, nevertoo much on welfare or, uh, anything of that, but I say that educationand, and taxes were always big, big things(??), I mean, you know, we'retaxed more than any of the state, I think, the sixth largest in thecountry. And, uh, you know, you can walk out of the door and taxeson something. And, uh, now, I don't know what they're talking about45:00up there now, but I'm telling you, it'll be, we'll be taxed some morebefore that's over with.

was there. That was some of the biggest improvements in education that--

ROMOND: --really--

WRIGHT: --that were ever made when he was down there--

ROMOND: --Louie Nunn--

WRIGHT: --Louie Nunn, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Done more for education than any other Governor, um-hm.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And since that time, I don't know, but I mean, I know that he

was, he was out front with, and very strong on education. And I, Iwould say, there've been some changes locally but not too much. Youknow, it doesn't, the state doesn't affect the local that much oneducation.

ROMOND: Hm. Do you think that KERA has made more changes since you left

it that much. But, you know, once you get out and you kinda get, getthe--well, you know, just like I say, the, uh, when I was in office,everybody knew--

[Pause in recording.]

ROMOND: You were saying that when you were in office, then everybody

knew you.

WRIGHT: Everybody knew me and I was really, you know. But then when I

got beat, about six months, they, Dexter who? You know--(both laugh)--it wasn't, they didn't know me. They didn't know me at all. I mean, Icouldn't do anything for them; that was it.

ROMOND: Hm.

WRIGHT: Now the people in my district, I can't say that. I mean, they,

they still kinda favor me, uh, except when I got, when I got beat withthat last time, I got beat was, uh, by thirty-five votes.47:00

ROMOND: Thirty-five votes?

WRIGHT: I think it was thirty-five, or something like that, real close.

And the fellow that beat me was one of the biggest duds that everwalks, Dan Seum, you've heard of him? Well, he's state senator now.He's, he had, uh, oh, he still owes his ex-wife thirty or forty-thousand dollars in child support and that goes back twenty years ago.But, uh, he, he bought, he bought the office. I mean, no questionabout it. He, he had a lot to do with some of the people I thoughtwere, were, uh, were, uh, close to the, the drug business.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I can't prove that.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I could if I wanted to, but I didn't, you know, I don't, I never

WRIGHT: Uh, he had a record a mile long and I never did tell anybody. I

never said anything about it. So it was a close race, but he's been inoffice now ever since then.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: Um-hm, yeah. Since 1980.

ROMOND: Huh.

WRIGHT: He run, he beat me, and then he run two terms there and then he

run for the Senate.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And now he, he was a Democrat; he switched over to Republican.

ROMOND: He is a Republican now.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: He ran against you as a Democrat.

WRIGHT: Democrat, Um-hm. And the Republican Party took him and I

couldn't understand why. In fact, I almost left the Republican Partyover it.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: Yeah, I, I was, I was on verge of, uh, splitting off on, on this

race we had in the Thirty-Seventh District, you know, where they, a49:00woman was disqualified as a candidate, you know, who, you don't knowabout that, never read about it. Well, she got the most votes; it wasDan Seum's daughter. But she was disqualified because she didn't livein the district.

ROMOND: You mean, just recently?

WRIGHT: Yeah!

ROMOND: Oh, I do know about that.

WRIGHT: Okay.

ROMOND: Okay.

WRIGHT: Yeah. Well, she was, she was, that was his daughter, the fellow

that beat me. And yeah, it was his daughter. And she was doing thesame thing that he was doing, trying to get in the backdoor the, youknow, they, they disqualified her other day. They knocked her off.And, uh, and I thought then, whenever, whenever they said she, uh,the, uh, Republican Party up there took her side. They was gonna--

ROMOND: --did they?

WRIGHT: Oh yeah, they seated, they put her in the, in and seated her.

And, uh, I started to write the president of the Senate a letter, butI didn't. I just, you know--

ROMOND: --let it be--

WRIGHT: --let, no, not gonna do any good. They're not going to listen

50:00to me anymore. I mean, although I have, I had people call me outthroughout the state, wanting to know if I'd help them a little bit,but, but, uh, I'm just not too, too hot on it right now. I mean, youknow, eighty-four years old, why do you need that? You know, don't needa whole lot of problems. I got my babies, that's all I need. (bothlaugh) Got my babies.

ROMOND: Here they are, all around you.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: Um, did you have a family when you first ran for office and

throughout your time in office?

WRIGHT: I had, uh. No, I was single when I--

ROMOND: --when you first ran--

WRIGHT: --when I first ran.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Then I married. And, uh, uh, yeah, her mother, yeah, yeah, up

51:00until, yeah, up until, uh, well, she died in '92. I mean, that's so.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah, but she never--oh, she was with me in Frankfort some, but

she got awful sick. She got mentally.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, uh, in fact, uh, I gave her credit for beating me.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: Yeah. She got awful nasty and, and accused, accused people of

things, and, and me of things that were just not true. And, uh, I, uh--

ROMOND: --this was Dawn's mother?

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: Did she--

WRIGHT: --oh, Dawn won't, wouldn't have anything with her. She don't

talk about it now at all. Sad, but that's the way it is. But, uh,yeah, she, she turned on everybody.

some, some of her family and some people, friends of mine, said, "Idon't know how in the world you ever did that," you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: "How you kept going under all that pressure," because she really

put me under a lot of pressure.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, that happens to people in life, but I mean that, uh,

the Lord gave me strength enough to get through it.

ROMOND: So you, did you stay in Frankfort when you, when the House was

in session, or were you able to come home because--

WRIGHT: --I was, you know, I was one of the few that drove home every

day.

ROMOND: Because it's not that far.

WRIGHT: Yeah, except when it snowed real deep, I would stay.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: I didn't want to drive back in the snow and have to get up and

be back there at seven--

ROMOND: --sure--

WRIGHT: --o'clock the next morning. But, uh, otherwise, no, I didn't

stay, three times while I was up there. I was one of the few I'mtalking about, even the local ones. I was one of the few local ones to54:00do that.

ROMOND: Even other people from--

WRIGHT: --yeah, here, they stayed up there--

ROMOND: --Jefferson County.

WRIGHT: Yeah, they stayed. They like that party up there.

ROMOND: (laughs) The party part?

WRIGHT: Yeah. I guess I should tell you about the party--no, I don't,

I don't think we should either. But, they were pretty bad. I mean,when I first went up there. I'd, I'd tell you the story. When I firstwent up there, I was there for the, the, the first day. I went to theHoliday Inn to eat and then came home. Someone came to my table andsaid, "Your bill has been paid."

WRIGHT: And she, uh, the waitress was really shocked. And I said, "No,

I'm, nobody buys me anything." And I walked out that backdoor to come55:00out to my car, and there was people(??),lobbyist there telling you,"You want a woman, you go that way. And if you want liquor, you gothat way."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I was totally devastated. I didn't believe it.

ROMOND: It wasn't how you imagined it was gonna be.

WRIGHT: Oh no, I never thought it'd be all that, you know, that trashy,

I mean and.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But Lord, those guys, some of them would get so drunk, they

couldn't hold their head up. And, uh, I remember one time, I wasworking on a bill and this fellow had told me he would help me with it,and I couldn't find him, and I went to the restroom, he was so drunkhe couldn't hardly stand up. And I didn't want to bring him back outon the floor, because I needed one vote, one vote. And, uh, I didn'tbring him back. He was a Democrat, too. He was for me, but he ----------(??), I mean.

impression of the filth that, that was going on. And then you couldsee as you went through the General Assembly, as it went through ontime, you could tell who was getting paid off for this, or.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: You know, there were pay off all the time. I mean, uh, uh, and

that irritated me, too. I just, uh, when I went up there to serve thepeople, I didn't go up there to get anything out of it, no money, nonothing, and I went in to make a difference. I was making fairly goodmoney and I said, "Well, I owe the people this. This is something thatI really owe the people is to serve them."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, uh, but, uh, I know they came to me one time, uh, on a

bill. There was a Democrat friend of mine up in, uh, up eastern partof the state. And, uh, they came to me and made me a big offer on57:00this bill.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Well, I saw him leave, so I knew that they were going to go to

him. So when he came back up, we both went outside, and he said, "Whatdid they do?" I said, "The same thing they did to you; they made me abig offer." He said, "What we gonna do?" I said, "We're gonna kill it;we're going in there, I'm gonna make a motion to kill the bill, you'regonna second it, or either way."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: We did; we went in there and killed it. And the Governor was,

uh, Wendell Ford that made the offer. But I got up and made the motionto table the bill, he seconded it, and boy, we put it away right quick.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, but I will never forget that. That guy was such a,

he was a nice guy, straight as an arrow, you know, the one from theSenate, he was a Democrat, too.

a Democrat. And he would have listen to me on votes, and I could talkto him. And I, and, of course, I was gone at the time he got caughton that, you know. But, but still, went to the penitentiary over a few59:00dollars--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --and a woman, I mean.

ROMOND: What do you think happens to people?

WRIGHT: Selfishness. It's happening right now. Look at that idiot up

there that's got all these members of the House and Senate running forcover during that, you, you saw him on television. He looks like agangster. What's his name? Uh, but he looks like a gang-, he just lookslike Al Capone. And, uh, why anybody would listen to him, I wouldn't,if he'd come to me and talk to me I wouldn't listen to a word he said.

ROMOND: Um-hm. Did lobbyists stop bothering you after a while--

WRIGHT: --oh yeah--

ROMOND: --when they knew that you were not going to accept money for

votes?

WRIGHT: When they found out that I was not, then they started talking to

me and telling me what was good about something and what was bad about.I said, "That's all I want you for."

WRIGHT: And, uh, that's the way it happened to me. And they, yeah they

did, I mean I have to say, and when I left, I mean there's a lot ofthem that made the statement about that, too, that, that I'd alwaysbeen fair with them. And, uh, and they knew where I stood.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, the, uh, I never, if we go on the bill on the, if

something came up and some guy walked up to him and he said, "You will61:00vote for this!" And I looked at him, I said--a great big fellow, I'llnever forget, Junior ----------(??), big gambler outside of Louisville.It was on a bookie bill. And I said, uh, I looked at him, and I hadto look up, "Let me ask you a question." I said, "You know, I was anorphan when I was three years old. And I didn't have a mother andfather. They didn't tell me what to do. Then I lived with my wife.And she doesn't tell me what to do either. Now what the hell makesyou think you're going to tell me what to do?"

Hm.

And I walked in the room--

ROMOND: --what did he say?

WRIGHT: Oh he just, he just flat out walked against the wall. I mean-

-(Romond laughs)--and he, uh, I walked in the room and killed the bill.You know, it was right outside the committee meeting and the bill was62:00up for vote in the committee and I walked in and cold killed it.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And boy, he was against me every time from then on. He spent a

lot of money against me, yeah.

ROMOND: Yeah.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: Tell me about some of the committees you were on. I know you

were several times on business, organizations, and professions--

WRIGHT: --yeah--

ROMOND: --and you were on that several times.

WRIGHT: Yeah. Uh, you know, I can't hardly--

ROMOND: --public utilities.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: Transportation.

WRIGHT: I can't, you know.

ROMOND: Education.

WRIGHT: Yeah, I was on education, yeah, for a while, um-hm.

ROMOND: Elections? You were the vice chair of elections.

WRIGHT: Elections, and constitutional amendments, um-hm.

ROMOND: Energy. (pause) In 1980--

WRIGHT: --yeah--

ROMOND: --you were on energy.

WRIGHT: Yeah. Uh, on education, of course, I can remember some of that.

I mean, you know, in helping do what I could for education back then,63:00but, uh--

ROMOND: --what were the problems in it, what were the big problems in

ed-, education back then?

WRIGHT: Always money.

ROMOND: Money?

WRIGHT: Always money.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Always money. Higher education, elementary education, they

always wanted more money.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: They didn't give a damn about anything, but just, "We need more

money!"

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: You know, I got to the point where you, I said, "You can throw a

truck load of money at something and not do any good." But I, I, I didfavor teaching, but that's every time that, never was anything that,that was beneficial to the children.

ROMOND: Um-hm. Do you think that, uh, educational--

WRIGHT: --(coughs)--pardon me.

ROMOND: Do you think that educational problems in the cities and the

rural areas and the mountain districts were real different from eachother--

WRIGHT: --oh--

ROMOND: --or the same, or--

WRIGHT: --no, they were real different. The problems we had here were,

Dwight Eisenhower, of course I met him years ago before he wasPresident, uh.

ROMOND: In the war?

WRIGHT: During the war, after, right after the war, um-hm.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, and then I met, uh.

ROMOND: Was Eisenhower a commanding officer to you?

WRIGHT: Yeah, he was, he was the head of NATO. He was a--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --he was the, a World War II leader, I mean, general over all

forces, uh, yeah.

ROMOND: All the armed forces.

WRIGHT: All the armed forces, all the countries, yeah, yeah, he was,

he was a top man, uh, and, uh, after that was Lyndon Johnson. Uh, I65:00remember Lyndon Johnson being here in the state in a, I, I think I methim but I'm not sure. I know I remember him going into, into mountainarea and making speeches--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --and, and, uh, all that. But, uh, then, then from there was,

uh.

ROMOND: Did you meet Richard Nixon?

WRIGHT: Yeah, Richard Nixon, yeah. I was Richard Nixon's campaign co-

chairman back he ran for President in 1968.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: In fact I had a cocktail party for him at the Old Kentucky

hotel in 1968, when he was running for office. I have pictures of himsomeplace with me. And, uh, uh, then at the same time that I was knewhim, I was Marlow Cook senator, United States Senator Marlow Cook'scampaign chairman.

WRIGHT: So, uh, I had some relationship with Nixon's, uh, Halderman and

Erlichman the two--

ROMOND: --yes--

WRIGHT: --you remember the--

ROMOND: --infamous people.

WRIGHT: Yeah, infamous people. I had some personal conversations with

them over some things and, uh--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --uh. And then, uh, who was Nixon, was that Jimmy Carter?

ROMOND: Ford. Well, Gerald Ford for--

WRIGHT: --oh, Gerald Ford, yeah--

ROMOND: --a short, shorter time.

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah, well after Nixon resigned, Jerry Ford was there,

yeah. He was a nice person, but he had his problems, too. He haddrinking problems. And, uh, him and his wife both. And, uh, I washead of, head of protocol with him one time , uh, when he came toKentucky. Had some personal contacts with him. Uh, I will neverforget one time, we were down in, uh, London, Kentucky. He was there67:00to make a speech. And, uh, he was standing right next to me. And, uh,I reached my hand down in, like I was going in my coat's pocket whenI went in his. He said, "What are you doing?" I said, "Oh, I thoughtthat was my coat pocket." (both laugh) And going back to RichardNixon, uh, I've got a tie tack in there on the wall that says, "Nixon,President Nixon."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I took that off of President Nixon one day and he didn't know

it. (Romond laughs) He was down here at the courthou--down at thefederal building, he was making a speech and I was standing there byhim. And he was really going and reached over and just clipped thatoff. And I've got it setting in there. (laughs) But anyhow I, I jokedaround with him, they were human beings as far as I was concerned, youknow, so.

WRIGHT: Yeah, because I used to go up there with, on the senator staff

every once in a while, you know, and.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And then Jimmy Carter and then, uh, Ronald Reagan, he was the

next one--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --yeah.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: Yeah, of course I met Ronald Reagan back in '76, that's when

I had a cocktail party for him, uh, uh, at the old Stouffers Inndowntown--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --in, in--that was long before he ran for President. But, uh,

yeah, I met him, of course I've got that picture hanging, you saw me,him and Nancy. And, uh, uh, but he was a, he was a fine man. I justloved him. And, uh, and then of course I met, uh, George Bush, right69:00after, uh, Ronald Reagan. I met him, uh, he was, uh, when he pickedGeorge Bush for Vice President, I was opposed to it(??). I was at theNational--

ROMOND: --really--

WRIGHT: --Republican Party, the national, uh, candidate.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I was on the, uh, I went to the national convention, I was

a member.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: Okay.

ROMOND: You were a delegate?

WRIGHT: I was a delegate, yeah.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And I, I did not want George Bush as Vice President.

ROMOND: Who did you want? Did you have somebody picked out?

WRIGHT: Bob Dole.

ROMOND: Bob Dole.

WRIGHT: Yeah, and of course, basically I wanted Bob Dole for President,

too. But, uh, uh, I never cared for the Bushes. I never did too much.Uh, but, uh, of course he served one term and I knew, I knew that wasall he was gonna serve because--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --the way he, you know, put his foot in his mouth all the time.

70:00And, uh, and George W. that's, uh, I think I met him here at theairport before he was President.

ROMOND: Um-hm, um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, now, uh, who was after, uh--oh, Jimmy, uh, the famous

in, I had no respect for Lyndon Johnson. He was one of the biggestcutthroats, everybody in Washington and, uh, uh, I, I, I knew thatthings were going to be go downhill--

ROMOND: --um-hm--

WRIGHT: --because Kennedy, and Kennedy had, he had a positive attitude

for this country.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, the country was for him, I mean, it was, it was -----

-----(??). Lyndon Johnson, it was all for me and what can I get out ofthis, I mean. And believe me, he got plenty. But, uh, yeah, I thinkit, oh, it did, I mean things started going downhill when Lyndon Johnsonwas elected. Uh, and up until, uh, Nixon had it all going for him, but72:00that, that Watergate thing, you know, trying to be, uh, God, is whathe wanted to be, he wanted to be God. And the fellows, Halderman andErlickman are the two that made him think he couldn't be wrong.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, of course that was the discussion I've had with him,

too. But, uh, but Nixon had it all going, but he just let it slipthrough his fingers.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But Ronald Reagan came in and it was just like a new light.

Everything seemed to open up, it seemed like he, anything he'd sayyou could almost believe for word-for-word. But now, he did havethat ability, to say and do what he said he was gonna do. He hadthat ability, and he could, he could make a believer out of you rightquick. And, uh, uh, and then of course the, uh, George Bush that was73:00there again, that was another story, I had not much use for him. Andthen, of course, Bill Clinton I didn't have any use for him at all.Not because he was a Democrat but I just didn't enjoy his, uh, way oflife. I mean, the, using the, you know, he used the White House forfilth and trash, I mean, to me. You know, that, that Lewinsky thingshould never have happened in the White House. Now he, if he had gonesomeplace else, the mountains or someplace, I don't approve of it, but,it would, uh, it wouldn't have affected me near as much. Uh.

ROMOND: When you look back at politics in Kentucky now, compared to, or

when you look back to how it was when you were in office, and compareit to how it is, how politics are now, what are your thoughts?

WRIGHT: My thoughts are that there are too many people involved in our

74:00government that are concerned with themselves. They're not concernedwith the people. They are, each and everyone of them--not all of them,there's some good people, still, there're still really good people--butyou see so much of this garbage going on. You know, where they'retaking money for this, or taking money for that, and it's just so hardfor me to believe that that's the prevailing right now. But it was in,it was in there when I went, first went into.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I mean, only on a smaller scale, but, uh, but there's a vast

difference. There's not enough people coming up that want to do what'sright for the country. They want to serve, I mean.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Is, they serve, what can I get out of it, how much can I make,

or and they, and, you know, just like I say, they, they want a salary75:00increase, hell, they vote for it, you know.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And they don't stand up and vote for it out in the open. They

won't do that; they'll hide it some place in a bill. They did thatin Frankfort when I was there. And I would, they take a roll call,you know, and I'd get up and say, they didn't want, didn't want a rollcall; they wanted a voice vote. And I'd get up and ask for a roll callevery time, make them show their colors. And, uh, a lot of them didn'tlike me. But, uh, but they, they showed who they were. There's onefellow now in the, in the House, you know, I think he's gone now fromthe Senate now. The only reason he came to Frankfort was to raise hissalary and increase a pension. Albert Robinson down in, uh, London,Kentucky. The only thing he ever that he to, during, spent the wholesession trying to get a bill through. And he was known for that, too.76:00

ROMOND: Hm.

WRIGHT: But they finally got rid of him, but of course he is probably

drawing, what? Thirty-thousand a year pension right now. When I wasin there, they, the, the pension bill was, uh, I don't remember. Uh,but anyhow, right after I left they put one in and it drawn up to(??)twenty-six thousand dollars a year.

ROMOND: Hm.

WRIGHT: With the years services I had, and I wasn't there, I mean they

didn't(??) pass that. The, the year I left, they passed it. It wouldnever have passed if I had been there. But, uh, but it's there now.And those fellows are drawing that big money.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And half of them couldn't get a job making that much money.

ROMOND: Really?

WRIGHT: Oh yeah, you'd be surprised, I mean that. Now there's one thing

77:00too many of in, uh, in, in the General Assembly and, and that's lawyers.Too many lawyers up there. I mean, of course, that can cost(??) you--

ROMOND: --did it not used to be that way, Mr. Wright?

WRIGHT: It's always been done that way--

ROMOND: --oh, it always have--

WRIGHT: --yeah, always had, is in, of course, every bill that comes up

you know, there is always a legal explanation for it, but there's notalways a, a legal explanation for everything. You know what I mean?They, they, they always seem to, uh, word it, so that you have to havea lawyer to understand it.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And that, that still bothers me. I think that's still the case,

too.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: But I know there's some people there that, right now they

couldn't get a job, uh, paying them twenty-six thousand dollars a year.

ROMOND: Are there people who stand out in your memory that you met,

78:00other legislators, uh, people that you met during your service there--

-[knocks on table]--up in eastern Kentucky. He was the majority floorleader, Doc--uh, isn't that awful. Oh, I just loved the man. He satright up in front of me. Uh, and he and I have mutual respect, I mean--

and he sat, uh, about three rows up from me on the aisle and I was backhere on the, in the center. Uh, do you know how we were, and when Iwanted to talk to him, I could walk up there and talk. Well. This isSenate. There is the House seating.

I mean I don't know, I don't. Well, I remember one time, there'ssomeone that crossed swords with him a little bit but, uh, they werewrong, I mean. And, uh, and, and he was a fighter. I mean, he was nopussyfoot, I mean, he'd, he'd fight, I mean literally fight you.83:00

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Because this fellow did him wrong and he, he offered to take him

outside. And, and, uh, of course I would of gone with him. (laughs)

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: You know, but, but he, he was just a good man.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And when this fellow did it, he knew he was wrong, you know.

That didn't help any. But that's the only one that I can think of inall the time I was there that I had a, the highest regard for.

ROMOND: Um-hm, um-hm.

WRIGHT: Even going back to the first session, uh, I kinda, you know, I

kinda just fell into knowing what I wanted to do when I got there. Imean, it just--

ROMOND: --it sounds like it just suited you.

WRIGHT: I didn't, I didn't follow anybody in particular.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: I mean, I never, I never asked for a whole lot of advice in the,

84:00and when the bill would come up I'd studied it, I had read part of it.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And, uh, so it's just, uh, it just seem like I was born to be

there.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: You know, I just sort of(??) felt like and, and I respected the

office. You know, I didn't, uh, I didn't try to force my way in anyplace. Now, a lot of them, you know, they'll go to a ball game andthen say, "I'm state representative," try to get in free and all thatstuff. I, I never did that, never.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: There were, I got tickets, of course I had tickets to the ball

games, but I mean that, they sent them to me, and then, uh, I used alot of them. I was a big supporter of Kentucky back then.

Then her little friend, a friend of mine the one that worked for me,she loved that other guy with Kyle, what the heck was his name? Uh,he wasn't as popular as Kyle Macy but. I can't remember his name now.Sh-. Shideler, Jay Shideler, Jay Shideler that.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Yeah.

ROMOND: And you got Rick Pitino now.

WRIGHT: Yeah, we got Rick Pitino, yeah. He is a good coach. (Romond

laughs) Um-hm. You know I don't see why they, they go so mad at himfor coming back here.

ROMOND: Well, because he came here. (laughs)

WRIGHT: Yeah, well, but, but--

ROMOND: --he came to Louisville.

WRIGHT: Yeah, but where else would he, he couldn't have gone to Kentucky

of that, but that, that I was involved in and, uh, trying to rememberthings that happened during the sessions, I mean, it's just, when youget that old your mind gets a little foggy, you know. I'm still, stillpretty alert for an old man and, uh. I can't believe I'm eighty-fouryears old, see. Don't want--

But you know, I, I, I, every once in awhile I think of something, I'lltell my daughter, did I tell you about this? No. And it, of course,I am a blank right now, I mean, but I mean a lot of things happened inthe campaign that you don't believe, you know. And, uh, and like up inthe mountains, they always wanted whiskey during the campaign.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: Well, I wouldn't give them any whiskey. No, no, no I don't

buy vote with whiskey, and, uh, when Marlow Cook was running. And,uh, they couldn't understand that, but you know they backdoored me.Someone else took it up there. And, of course, I couldn't do anythingabout it; I mean, you know, I was the campaign chairman but I, I can'tfire a volunteer. And, uh, but, and then some of the men that, that88:00helped in the campaign, uh, were so honest that when the campaign wasover they gave me money back that they didn't spend. And, and Marlowdidn't, Cook, he didn't believe it. And I said, "Marlow, I'm tellingyou!" And he said, "Well, if they brought it back, you can keep it."And I said, "Well, I hate to keep it, but" I said, "You know, theybrought it back." And, of course, we had some leftover funds in thecampaign, but three or four of them brought me money back. And that'shard to believe!

ROMOND: That's honest, isn't it.

WRIGHT: Oh man, I'm telling you, because they, they came in and say, "I

think I'll need two-thousand dollars," or "fifteen hundred dollars."

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: You gave to them and never questioned. I never questioned what

for, I said, "Use it; that's what you need, that's what you need." And,uh, then they called back and say, "I've got some money left; I'll bring89:00it up to you." I had about four of them do that. And that's unusual.And two of them were Democrats. (laughs) That were working for me.

ROMOND: Imagine. (laughs)

WRIGHT: Yeah, yeah. Two of them were Democrats even working, working

against their own party--(Romond laughs)--and brought me money back.They're all, there were a lot of good people involved in it though.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: We went to western Kentucky one time, uh, during the campaign

and we was on the airplane and flew down into Logan County, in, uh, gotoff the airplane and I met this fellow, Larry Forgy's daddy.

ROMOND: Yes.

WRIGHT: And he, he was there. And another fellow who was there. I

90:00went with Larry Forgy's daddy to talk to the Democrats, Marlow wentwith this other guy to talk to the Republicans. (Romond laughs)And, uh, I'll never forget that and I said, "That's, that's weird,you know, here we fly in here, go in different directions," and, uh.But, uh, then another time, talking about flying, I was supposed tobe in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, that night. And , uh, I couldn't drivedown there; I mean, it's too far. And so, so one of the fellows thatworked at, at the mayor office said, "Well I can fly, I'll fly youdown there." "Well," I said, "Okay." So he got in the airplane, and wegot in the airplane, and we was flying. We got up there and he said,"Well, there it is right there." I said, "That is not Bowling Green,Kentucky." I said, "That is Edmonton, Kentucky." I knew from the sky;91:00I'd been over before.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And we liked to never got down to, uh, we was headed down in,

uh, Middlesboro is where I was going.

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And from Middlesboro I was going to, the other way, and, uh,

but anyhow, we were flying down Middlesboro, finally got down there andhe is flying all over the place and, "Well, I don't know which way toland!" I said, "Oh, God, here's the smoke"--

ROMOND: --and he was the pilot.

WRIGHT: Yeah. (Romond laughs) And here's the smoke stack there and the,

and the smoke was coming up going this way. And I knew enough thatyou had to fly, you know, I said, "Look at that damn smoke stack downthere." So, we finally got down. (Romond laughs) Well, they, uh, theyhad sent for, after we got through there, they sent an ambulance overto pick me up, take me to Monroe County.92:00

ROMOND: Um-hm.

WRIGHT: And you talk about a weird ride that 88, that highway that's

special crooked highway down there.

ROMOND: ----------(??)----------

WRIGHT: Eighty and ninety miles an hour, oh yeah, it's a rough one, if

you read about it, eighty or eighty-eight or something, anyhow. We gotthere, and, uh, we was ready to leave. And this guy say, "Well, I'llfly you back." And I said, "No, you won't." I said, "I'll walk back!"(both laugh) "You ain't flying me back!" But then he didn't; I mean,I got a ride, I hitched a ride the next day. I had someone bring meback. I wasn't about to ride with him anymore, um-hm.